Motorsport | MotoGP

Stoner confirms V8 switch

Casey Stoner has confirmed his switch from two wheels to four as he signs a one-year deal to drive a V8 Supercar.

The double MotoGP World Champion quit the series at the end of last year, opting instead to return to his native Australia.

Stoner, though, won't be away from the thrills of racing for too long as he has agreed a one-year contract to race a Red Bull-backed Triple Eight Holden in the Dunlop Series, which is the V8 Supercar development series.

"It is a trial year to see how I go and how I like the sport," Stoner told the Australian Daily Telegraph. "We are definitely making a commitment to it, but at the same time we don't want to go too deep in case it is not for us.

"I was going to do 75 percent of the races, but I have decided to do them all.

"I want to get as much time in the seat as I can and try to understand what it is like to drive a V8."

As for why the 27-year-old opted for V8s, Stoner revealed: "I have been interested in V8s for a long time.

"I was about 14 or 15 when I decided I wanted to have a crack. I had the intention to do it then and I forgot about it because I was so wrapped up in my career.

"Once I decided to retire from bikes, there was no thought to go racing again. I wanted to have a full year off and maybe even see the world a bit.

"I wanted to slow down. But as the year went on I started considering the V8 development series. We had discussions from there and eventually got a deal done."